Random Act of Kindness

Good Morning, everyone. I just had to share something really great that happened to me. Last night my wife and I were awake ALL NIGHT with a "very aggitated" teething infant. (parents, you know the situation). Frazzled, to say the least, the day started off wrong. An hour late, I threw the kids (four, and 8 months) into the car and headed off to daycare. Half way there I ran over a metal political candidate sign which was in the roadway. I don't even support the guy. Well...the sign left a large bolt in each of the passenger side tires. We were stuck. I was engulfed in a fit of crazed laughter, and my two kids were crying. I called Geico Roadside Assistance to get towed. After 20 min with the operator she informed me there was nothing they could do to help because the towing company contracted in our area didn't have a flat-bed tow truck. (remember, both tires on the passenger side are dead). Geico left me stranded....they'll be getting a letter of their own. I called the local Les Schwab (big tire chain store out here in the west). For $75 / hour they sent a guy out to us. We were able to pump up the tires, and limp it into the store. So where's the "something really great" part? After sending a serviceman out to my car, limping the car back to the lot, and repairing two tires that were not thier company's; in total about 2 hours work, Les Schwab handed me the keys, gave my son some popcorn, and sent me out the door. They comped the ENTIRE SERVICE. In honesty, I have no idea how many credit cards and the drained bank account I would have had to use to pay for new tires today. The moral of the story? Kindness exists in the world. Les Schwab has an eternally faithful customer. Geico will be hearing from me.

WoW,  what a ring of emotions. I think I would want to share such an amazing story with others too.  I think that rates right up there with miracle.   Get some rest dude.  What a roller coaster of a day.

WOW! What an amazing story. It's good to hear good news. Now, to get the full benefit of the situation, "pay it forward". Do something totally ,and outrageously nice for a stranger , and see how that impacts your, (and their), life.  Things like these tend to snowball, and that's a good thing. DD

DD, I am all about paying it forward, too, and have been very fortunate to have some folks really help me out over the years. This past week I have been touring all over Texas, 2300 miles logged on the truck in the past 7 days, looking at about 130 sites as part of an acquisition I am working. A few days ago I roll up on a guy in South Houston in a parking lot trying to do a break job on the family minivan (with the family in tow) with only the most rudimentary of hand tools. After being out looking at the cell tower for about 10 minutes, he walks up and asks if I have an 11/16 socket in my truck, as it was all he needed to get the breaks apart the rest of the way. Now, I have more tools than Tim Taylor. I have a Jesse James Signature MAC Tools closet in my garage, and two snap-on closets. I am shamefully tool rich, for a guy that is just a weekend mechanic for fun. I keep one of those Wal-mart 101 tool sets, in the nice hard plastic case in the truck for emergencies. It had never even been opened. You would of thought I gave him the world when I handed the case over to him and told him to keep the tools, but to help the next guy he came across in need. Made my whole day. JP

JP, Nothing quite matches the joy of giving. Just hearing these stories makes MY day. Thanks for sharing. DD

Hi Jake, You've obviously been doing something right.................that kind of good karma is simply the return of some that you already put out there. Oh yeah, I remember all too well when our son was teething......ah yes, good times indeed!  LOL Cheers, Bill

Thanks for this story.  I thought customer service and building good will was just about dead.  It is refreshing to see that a company help you to that degree.  I would be their loyal customer too.

Jake, Nothin’ quite like Car trouble with the little ones in the car!!! Best Advertising Les Schwab has done this month! Worst that Geico has done…. Have a feeling that someone "saved" the service folks at Schwab recently? Maybe it was just their day to be in the "Passing it On" phase…. Yours will come…. "We are all just the fingers of Karma…"

Best Wishes- Dx

Les Schwab is the best.  I have been a customer of theirs for the last 10 years or so.  They will always fix a flat for you (for free) even if you didn't buy the tires from them.  They also rotated my sons tires for free.  They were tires from them, but not under a warranty. Their tires have always been fair priced and with the way they treat people, they will have a customer for life in me.